Is Incognito Mode (Private Browsing) Really Private? Let’s See

Are you habitual of using your browser’s incognito or private mode to keep your online activities confidential? If yes, then you need to rethink your decision!

Everyone uses a different method for browsing the web anonymously. But if you use your browser’s incognito or private mode, third parties can still track your online activities. Third parties can be anything from the government, your internet service provider, and hackers or snoopers.

The only way to stay private from third parties is by getting a VPN for Windows, but we will get to that later in this article.

In this article, we will discuss what Incognito Mode is, how to enable it and what can provide you the privacy and anonymity you need.

What is Incognito Mode?

Incognito mode is a private window in your web browser that allows you to surf the web without saving a record of your history on your device. No cookies or other traces of your private browsing session in incognito mode are kept in your browser once your session ends.

When you use incognito mode, no data or browsing history linked with a specific browsing session is saved on your device. That means no one else who uses your smartphone will be able to see which websites you visited or what you looked for on Google.However, even if your online activity isn’t recorded on your device, websites you visit, your ISP, search engines, and others can still track your behavior while you surf incognito.

How to Enable Incognito Mode?

Most modern web browsers have an incognito or private surfing mode. To begin, launch the browser. Then, while the browser is open, open a private window. There is a technique to surf secretly regardless of what your default browser is:

• Chrome –To enable incognito mode on your browser, click on the three dots on the top right corner of your screen and click on “New Incognito Window.”
• Safari –To enable Incognito Mode on Safari, click on “File”then “New Private Window.”
• Firefox –To enable Incognito Mode on Firefox, click on the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner of the browser window and click “New Private Window”from the drop-down menu.
• Internet Explorer –Incognito Mode in Internet Explorer goes by the name InPrivate browsing. You need to go to Settings in the top right corner, click on Safety,and then InPrivate Browsing.
• Edge –Like Internet Explorer, Incognito Mode also goes by InPrivate in Edge. You mustpress Ctrl + Shift + P to launch a private browser window on Edge.

The Privacy Issues With Incognito Browsing

While Incognito Mode protects your surfing habits from other users using your local computer or mobile device, it exposes your online activities to surveillance, and your actual IP address remains accessible.

Your ISP will still be able to watch your online activities, cheerfully logging the websites you visit, the files you download, and more, just as most browsers warn you when you enter Incognito Mode. Furthermore, advertisers value such data and will pay to obtain it.

And it’s not only your ISP that can see what you’re doing online in Incognito Mode; the government can too. They can do so by actively monitoring your activity or issuing a subpoena on your ISP.

So How to Browse Privately on the Internet?

Incognito mode hides your search and browsing history from other users. However, unlike a VPN for Windows, incognito mode does not mask your IP address, which is an integralpart of your device’s online identity. Incognito mode is insufficient for hiding your online identity from other network users, businesses, or governments.

To completely hide your IP address or browsing activity — whether at a café, an airport, or anywhere with a public Wi-Fi network — you must connect to the internet using a VPN for Windows rather than quietly surfing in incognito mode. A VPN allows you to bypass content limitations and geo-restrictions while ensuring that your online identity cannot be tracked.

A VPN also encrypts your data and device information before it hits the network you use to connect to the internet. Just note that with a VPN for Windows, your browsing history will still be visible to anyone using your device.

So for complete protection, we recommend using a VPN and incognito mode.

Final Thoughts

While your browser’s Incognito Mode is a great way to prevent other users from tracking your browsing habits, we’ve discovered that it doesn’t do much to shield you from the prying eyes of other internet users, your ISP, or government and law enforcement agencies.Fortunately, you can use a VPN for Windows to supplement or even replace the protection provided by Incognito Mode.